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Anne Boleyn and Me
Anne Boleyn and Me: The Diary of Elinor Valjean is the twenty-sixth book in the My Story series. The book is a sequel to Alison Prince's My Tudor Queen and was followed by Henry VIII's Wives in 2011. It was first published February 2004. The book was also reissued twice with different cover art. Elinor Valjean witnesses the rise and fall of Anne Boleyn over an eleven-year period, after becoming her lady-in-waiting. Book description 1st= :"''15th February 1526 When the King came riding in on his big, black horse, a murmur went up, because his tunic was stitched with the words, DECLARE I DARE NOT. All the ladies were giggling behind their hands, and I asked Mama what it meant. Her face had turned quite pink and she said, "Never mind," so I asked Rosanna later. She told me the words meant the King has a new love, but he dares not say her name. But everyone knows her name, of course. It is Anne Boleyn." |-| 2nd= :"''It's 1525. Elinor is lady-in-waiting to Queen Catherine. Anne Boleyn is also one of the Queen's ladies until she attracts the eye of King Henry. Elinor watches and listens, and writes down all she see in her journal—a witness to Henry's desire for a son that tore his family and his kingdom apart..." Plot Eleven-year-old, Elinor Valjean lives at the court of King Henry VIII. Her mother, Eva serves as a lady-in-waiting to Queen Catherine of Aragon, while her father Michel is Henry's favorite court jester. On her thirteenth birthday, Elinor is appointed a lady-in-waiting to Queen Catherine. The court is thrown into turmoil, when Henry pleads with his wife to "release him". He wishes to marry Anne Boleyn, another lady-in-waiting. The King seeks permission from Pope Clement to annul his marriage. A representative is sent from Rome to conduct a trial, which ends with no decision reached. Meanwhile, Elinor is ordered to become a lady-in-waiting to Anne, separating her from her family. She soon meets a black smith by the name of Tom Freeman, who later joins the court. The following year, she and Tom marry with the King's permission. Henry declares that the Church of England will not answer to the Pope anymore, appointing himself as the supreme head of the church. He subsequently abandons his wife Catherine, moving her to small, damp house. Elinor meanwhile experiences happiness at the birth of first child, Michael. The following winter, Anne shows signs of pregnancy and she quietly marries the King in a private ceremony. Anne gives birth that September to Elizabeth, not the hoped-for boy. Elinor has a her second child, Maria in the spring, while Anne goes through several fruitless pregnancies over the following years. The King loses hope for Anne and his eyes wander to Jane Seymour, a lady-in-waiting. At the beginning of 1536, Catherine passes away, leaving only one wife for Henry to be rid of. Thomas Cromwell invents accusations of Anne committing adultery. She is found guilty of the "trumped-up" charges and executed by beheading. Elinor, shortly later, leaves court to live a peaceful life with her family. Characters *'Elinor Valjean', a lady-in-waiting to Catherine of Aragon, until the King commands her to wait on Anne Boleyn. She is the daughter of Eva De Puebla from My Tudor Queen. *'Anne Boleyn' is also Catherine's lady-in-waiting. King Henry VIII falls in love with her, but she refuses to be his mistress, opting to become his wife instead. Author Alison Prince (born March 26, 1931 in Beckenham, London) is a British children's author. Prince is well known for writing the children's television series, Trumpton in 1967. She authored three books in the My Story series, including My Tudor Queen and Henry VIII's Wives. Sequel Anne Boleyn and Me was followed by Alison Prince's Henry VIII's Wives in 2011. The book was the only original book in the My Story spin-off, My Royal Story. It is told from the point-of-view of Beatrice Townhill, a friend of Eva and Elinor. Beatrice meets Henry's last four wives, while learning about his first two from her new friends. Editions Tudor-Stories.jpg|''Tudor Stories for Girls'' with My Tudor Queen (June 1, 2009)https://shop.scholastic.co.uk/products/72161 Anne-Boleyn-and-Me2.jpg|''Anne Boleyn and Me'' My Story reprint (March 1, 2010)https://www.amazon.com/Anne-Boleyn-Me-Royal-Story/dp/1407114778/ Anne-Boleyn-and-Me3.jpg|''Anne Boleyn and Me'' My Story reprint (October 2, 2014)https://shop.scholastic.co.uk/products/94355 References See also Category:A to Z Category:Books Category:My Story Category:My Story books Category:Anne Boleyn and Me Category:Books by Alison Prince